Central Texas nonprofit aimed at impacting children with terminal illnesses, disabilities holds first fundraiser
ELM MOTT, Texas (KWTX) - A Central Texas man who has funded a nonprofit to the tune of $20,000 a year or more out of his own pocket in order to bring smiles to the faces of kids and their families facing hardships is finally holding the nonprofits first fundraiser.
Jimmy Bennett, founder of JMB Fishing Foundation, will host his first fundraiser since the nonprofit formed in 2019 at Geneva Hall in Elm Mott Saturday.
“We work with kids with special abilities, with different abilities, kids with cancers, kids that are just going through difficult times in their lives,” Jimmy said.
For years, Jimmy, an outdoor enthusiast who works as the director of Maintenance for Midway ISD, has taken kids with sickness or disabilities out on his boat to fish.
He’s long believed the great outdoors is a great escape for those facing challenges.
“After having two kids with terminal cancer in my boat, I decided it was time to do something bigger,” Jimmy said.
That’s when the JMB Fishing Foundation, a registered 501c3, was formed.
The foundation has a mission “to take what we have been given and give it back, to make a difference in the lives of others.”
The foundation has helped numerous people in its first five years.
They’ve put on a livestock show for those with disabilities to compete and taken a young man with autism on his dream vacation to New York City.
And that’s just the beginning.
“We’ve taken kids on fishing trips from Waco to Wisconsin,” Jimmy said. “We’ve sent families on dream vacations to New York City, the Georgia Aquarium. We’ve sent families snow skiing in the Rocky Mountains, and we’ve sent families gator hunting in the swamps of south Louisiana.”
Jimmy said his group has focused on not only helping the individual but their families.
“There’s one thing we do differently. We include the siblings. We include the family. We help create lifelong memories for these families.”
The first Jimmy Bennett Fishing Foundation fundraiser will be held Saturday at Geneva Hall in Elm Mott.
Barbeque plates will be served to-go from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $20 a plate.
Doors will open for the main event at 5 p.m.
The fundraiser will include a silent and live auction as well as dinner and games.
Geneva Hall is located at 740 S Connally Drive.
For more information you can log onto jmbfishing.org.
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